Golf as a Business Tool

I started golfing shortly after I married my husband, who was an avid golfer. I found the experience of learning the game challenging, but what really made an impression was how revealing it was for me, personally and professionally. Not at all like I first thought it would be. I envisioned that I would learn how to swing the club, and all about the “chip.” Instead, I learned a lot about myself that was more important than the mere mechanics of the game.

Golf has always been the traditional path to advancement in a man’s career — a place where he is visible to his boss, and a means by which he can parlay for advancement, discuss company trends, entertain clients, and create strategic relationships that may in the end foster (very big) deals. If you want to invest in success – beyond the routine work and jockeying in the office — the game of golf, played with colleagues and clients, is where your focus should be.

So why aren’t women using this key networking ploy for advancing their careers? There is a lot of research that says women are still not in the inner circle of business, and not really a part of “informal networks.” I wonder why it is not understood that this “off-the-record” business hobnobbing, so to speak, is conducted on the open green spaces of the golf course! Now let me tell you why it’s so important for you to be there, and how playing golf can help you invest in your career.

Golf and the Power of Casual Corporate Socializing

Women may offer excuses for not playing the game: athletic ability, the expense of equipment, lack of time, or family commitments. I used all these reasons for my own avoidance until I realized that the precious value of golf, to a business person, is in the fact that it is played with the same guiding principles used every day in the world of commerce: strategic decision-making, branding, teamwork and networking. To wit:

Golf encourages a “left brain/right brain” activity on every shot, used to meet the challenge of moving the ball closer to the target — similar to the skills used in business planning and execution.

You are required to “think on your feet” — to strategize, focus on the problem and make decisions. You can take all of these skills back to the workplace.

Your ”brand“ out on the links is determined by your listening skills, your sense of humor, and your adaptability to changing situations. Notice also that in both the office and out on the green, you are labeled (“branded”) a good playing partner or a good working partner.

Simply put, the game of golf is a metaphor for business!

It can also be a good way to see yourself – not to mention the fellow workers teeing up alongside you on the rolling green hills — in a new light. I learned to view myself in a new way as I struggled with my inner reactions to success and failure in playing the game. And I had an opportunity to learn more about others while watching their reactions to their own play. I recall a colleague, when he thought no one was watching, kicking his ball to a more favorable position on the fairway before he made his shot. Actions on the course speak volumes about your personal and professional character and surely mirror your actions as a team player in the workplace.

Also, it’s not as difficult to play the game as you may think it is. It’s a mental game; one of the greatest golfers of all time, Bobby Jones, noted “Competitive golf is played on a 5 ½”course: the space between our ears.” And when contemplating the idea of taking up the activity, your spotlight should be on business golf, not the more complicated professional golf you watch at TV. Business golf is a social interaction that, simply put, has a business objective: building relationships. It can also be a conduit to building mental agility and strength.

Women and Golf: Honing the Mind’s Power to Play a Strategic Game

Most golf instructors and scholars admit that the mental game of golf is the most significant aspect of the game. After all, it‘s a reflective sport, and a strategy competition. Sam Snead (1912-2002), an American professional golfer who won a record 82 PGA tour events, including seven majors over four decades, admitted that driving the ball was about 75% mental.

It’s that achievement that makes you feel like a winner; the physical aspects of the game are really incidental, and always follow the lead of the mind. There is as much practice needed to sharpen the skill of the mind to win at golf as to learn the physical aspects of the game (swing, etc.).

That said, actual physical strength does not matter, so there is no advantage for men over women. There are two requirements in the game: a consistent swing, and a clean stroke sliced through the ball — both of which can easily be acquired by either gender through practice and attention.

For a beginner, this need to practice repeatedly can be a revelation: the first days on the tee were humiliating for me, because I had a picture in my mind of the accomplished entrepreneur I had become, and this task of learning the game was asking me to start over. But I did it as a new challenge, and gradually became physically, emotionally and mentally stronger. In fact, I think of it now as a game for life, because the benefits last forever: the game is restorative, and your simple accomplishments occur one shot at a time, giving you new self-confidence, and renewed self-esteem.

Learning to play the game may seem like an overwhelming challenge in your life right now, but as with any worthwhile experience, you should expect a learning curve. However, the end result – boosting you in your career and strengthening your mind — should motivate you to move on. So make time each week to stop your busy schedule and hit balls on the golf range, or play a round of golf at the public course in your area. Golf can personalize your workplace relationships and open doors to new, valuable connections.

Let the games begin!

Get Started with Golf:Resources for Beginners

There are many choices for beginners to learn the game of golf.

I joined the Executive Women’s Golf Association, EWGA.com, an organization for both beginners and advanced players, who then act as mentors for those eager to get started. It has 14,000 members nationally, and you can find a local chapter in your area, or start a chapter with their assistance.

Also, if you’re thinking about a long weekend or a mini vacation, consider learning the game at a golf school. Go to golfmadesimple.com to find many choices – ranges in the mountains, by the sea, or in the desert, all across the U.S.

Contributor/Publisher Agreement

This agreement is made on , between SharpHeels / SharpHeels Group LLC, 8127 Mesa Dr B206, Austin, TX 78759 ("publisher") and ("contributor") regarding the contribution ("the articles") for publication on SharpHeels.com.

The Contribution. The contributor shall submit articles, on a consistent basis, to the publisher based on the contributor's area of expertise. The articles shall be submitted on or before the agreed upon due date (Tracked by editorial calendar).

Editorial Copy. Article copy and tone should be designed to Educate, Motivate, and Captivate. All copy should be void of any direct self-promotion for the contributor's organization. Copy that includes the contributor and/or its products should only be included when it benefits the audience and not to the direct benefit of the contributor.

Changes. The publisher shall have the right to edit, revise, augment, re-title, and adapt all articles and to cause others to make such changes as the publisher may deem appropriate. The contributor shall be available to approve such changes.

Rights. Contributor grants to the Publisher an exclusive worldwide license to first publish, reproduce, display, distribute and use the Contribution in any media. The contributor retains ownership of all rights under copyright to the Contribution. If the contributor desires to publish the article on the contributor's website, the contributor is permitted, but must provide a link and reference to the original article on SharpHeels.com. Contributor shall not authorize any publication of the articles to additional parties except with the prior written consent of the publisher in each instance.

Images. The publisher may illustrate the articles with photographs or illustrations or both and contributor will, if supplying such photographs or illustrations by agreement, warrant their ownership and transfer needed rights and permissions to allow their publication. Publisher will provide images if not provided by the contributor.

Fact checking. Contributor will verify all facts in the articles, although the publisher shall have the right to check the article for accuracy.

Originality. Contributor warrants that the articles will be original, will not infringe on any copyright, invade any right of privacy, contain any libelous material, or infringe or violate any other right of any other person or entity.

Use of Name. Contributor, for publicity purposes, gives Publisher permission to use the Contributor's name, image, biography and likeness in all forms of media and in all manners in connection with the advertising and promotion of the Work and/or Contribution.

Promotion. Publisher will assume all costs associated with the publishing and promotion of the Contribution.

Compensation. There will be no financial compensation for contributor's posts. Publisher offers a platform to expand the contributor's reach for their specific expertise. Contributor's posts will be featured in SharpHeels newsletter , online and in Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)

Confidential Information. The Contributor and his or her employees shall not, during the time of rendering services to the Publisher or thereafter, disclose to anyone other than authorized employees or designated persons of the Publisher, any information of a confidential nature, including but not limited to, information relating to: any such materials or intellectual property; any of the Publisher projects or programs; the technical, commercial or any other affairs of the Publisher; or, any confidential information which the Company has received from a third party.

Termination. Publisher and/or the Contributor may terminate this Agreement in the event the parties no longer benefit from the partnership or upon notice of a breach to the agreement.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. The parties agree that a signature (electronic or in writing) on this Agreement shall be considered legally binding and executable.